Portable electrically illuminated book

ABSTRACT

A portable electrically illuminated book. The book comprises a housing adapted to receive an imprinted or inscribed roll of paper and a take-up spool on which the paper is unwound. The paper passes over a window in the housing, illuminated by electric lamps in the housing. A lens is mounted in the window, above the passing paper, for enlarging the printed matter. A motor for driving the take-up spool is mounted in the housing and a speed control for the motor is provided. A dry cell battery serves as a power source. A folding cover for the lens serves as a book support.

United States Patent [191 Marcellus 1 1 Mar. 11, 1975 PORTABLE ELECTRICALLY ILLUMINATED BOOK [76] lnventor: Richard B. Marcellus, 160 9th Ave.,

Apt. 3R, New York, N.Y. 10011 [22] Filed: Dec. 26, 1972 121] App]. No.: 318,004

[52] US. Cl. 40/31 [51] Int. Cl. G091 11/28 [58] Field of Search 40/30-32, 86, 40/86 A, 88; 74/199, 202, 207

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,116,507 5/1938 Colin 40/31 2,837,294 6/1958 Jacobs 2,993,355 7/1961 Farsberg 3,319,478 5/1967 Gruber 3.543.424 12/1970 Klein 40/31 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 234,615 2/1945 Switzerland 40/86 A Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-A. J. Heinz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jacob L. Kollin [57] ABSTRACT A portable electrically illuminated book. The book comprises a housing adapted to receive an imprinted or inscribed roll of paper and a take-up spool on which the paper is unwound. The paper passes over a window in the housing, illuminated by electric lamps in the housing. A lens is mounted in the window, above the passing paper, for enlarging the printed matter. A motor for driving the take-up spool is mounted in the housing and a speed control for the motor is provided. A dry cell battery serves as a power source. A folding cover for the lens serves as a book support.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENIEUMAR 11 [975 FIG. 2

FIG.4

PORTABLE ELECTRICALLY ILLUMINATED BOOK SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to reading devices in general, and in particular to a reading device comprising a book employing a movable imprinted or inscribed illuminated strip of paper contained in a portable housing and wound on a roll.

An importent object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character wherein novel means for moving the strip of inscribed or imprinted paper are provided.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described wherein the speed of movement of the paper strip may be controlled by the reader.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide means for removing and replacing paper rolls on which the written matter is inscribed or printed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the illuminating means disposed underneath the scanning portion of the paper strip for directing light rays through said scanning portion in a dark, unlightened room.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a small casing for the device, which can be held in one hand while the rolls are rotated electrically by depressing a switch or manually by the other hand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cover for the device, which can also serve as the book support and which is relatively small and simple in construction and operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other important objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the portable illuminated book;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken on line 2--2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken on line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the circuitry employed in the portable illuminated book; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail of the switch.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the portable illuminated book according to the invention, generally indicated by the reference numeral 6, comprises a housing having a rear wall 8 and a front wall hingedly secured to the rear wall 8 by hinge 12; a pair of side walls 14,16 a bottom wall 18 and a top wall 10. The front wall 20 is formed with a rectangular opening 22 extending substantially transversely of the side walls 14,16. Enclosing the opening 22 is a lens 24 which is secured to the front wall at edges 26. Spacedly mounted below the front wall 20, on brackets 28,30 is a transparent or translucent tape supporting shelf 32, to allow an imprinted paper strip 34 to pass thereover below the front wall of the housing.

Pivoted to the side walls of the housing adjacent its bottom portion is a swingable cover 36 for the front wall and lens 24. When swung out, as shown in FIG. 1, the cover acts as a support for the illuminated book.

The side walls of the housing are provided with rotatable bifurcated pins 38,39,40 and 41 in which are journalled the shafts 42,44 of spools 50,52. The imprinted elongated paper strip 34, wound on spool 50 has its free end secured to shaft 44, in known manner, by an adhesive tape.

Integrally secured to bifurcated rotatable pin 48 is a sprocket wheel 54 which engages with a pinion 56, mounted on a shaft 48 rotatable in wall 16 and to which, in turn, is axially secured a rubber wheel 58. A motor 60 is pivotably mounted on one end with an integral flange 62 on pivot 64 extending from wall 8 and has on its other end a protruding shaft 65 engageable with the rubber wheel 58. The motor is further provided on one side with a flange 66 at said other end, and on the opposite side with another flange 67 to which is secured a spring 69 anchored to bracket 30, for biasing motor 60. A two-armed lever 68, pivoted to a second pivot 70, extending from the rear wall 8, has one end articulated to flange 66 and another free end terminating as an inbent portion 72 displaceable downwardly by a knob 74 of sliding threeposition switch 76, whereby the motor shaft 65 is normally disengaged from rubber disk 58, when the knob is in the position indicated by dotted lines. The roll may also be operated manually by knob 77.

Mounted on side walls 14,16 and extending inwardly of the housing are lamps 78,80 for illuminating the imprinted tape 34. The lamps are powered through the switch contacts by a battery 82,84 which also supplies current through a rheostat 86 and switch contacts 88 to the motor 60. The battery 82,84 may be replaced through a removable cover 83. The lamps are replaceable by opening the front cover.

The portable, illuminated book according to the invention is used as follows:

The rear wall or cover 8 pivoted on hinge 88 is swung open and the roll 50 containing a paper strip of reading matter is secured in pins 39,42. The free end of the strip 34 is secured with adhesive tape to the shaft 44 of the take-up spool, after being passed through the space between the lens 24 and the translucent shelf 32.

The lens cover 36 is unfolded to act as a stand, as seen in FIG. 1.

In the inoperative dotted line position of the switch knob 74 which has depressed the two-armed lever 68 into the dotted line position (FIG. 2), it disengages shaft 65 of motor 60 from rubber wheel 58. In this position the switch has closed the lamp circuit and the paper strip is illuminated. To operate the motor 60 and thus the take-up spool 52 the switch 76 is advanced into the position shown in solid lines in the same F igure. The knob 74 thereby clears the inbent portion 72. Spring 69 biases shaft 65 against rubber wheel 58. Simultaneously the contact 88 has been closed, thus setting motor 60 in motion. The paper strip is now unwound from spool 50 onto spool 52 by take-up shaft 41 at a speed, which can be regulated by moving the lever of rheostat 86 (FIGS. 1 and 4) to the desired position. The take-up shaft 40 may also be rotated manually by means of knob 77 integral with bifurcated shaft 41.

I claim:

1. A portable electrically illuminated book comprising a housing having opposed front and rear walls, opposed side walls, and upper and lower walls, said front wall being formed with a rectangular opening, a translucent shelf spaced parallel to said front wall in said housing and aligned with said opening for supporting a movable paper strip thereon, a detachable spool rotatably mounted in said housing adjacent said lower wall,

said spool having a paper strip with reading matter wound thereon, an outer end of said paper strip extending from said spool between said front wall and said shelf, a detachable take-up spool rotatably mounted in electromotor for pivoting said electromotor about said first pivot axis, a sliding switch mounted in one of said side walls for electrically actuating said motive means and said illuminating means, said switch having a prosaid housing adjacent said upper wall, said outer end of 5 jection provided with a knob engaging the other end of the paper strip being secured to said take-up spool, a rotatable take-up spool shaft in one of said side walls detachably secured to said take-up spool, motive means for rotating said take-up spool in said housing, illuminating means in said housing mounted behind said translucent shelf for illuminating reading matter on said paper strip and a power source in said housing for said motive means and said illuminating means, said motive means comprising an electromotor having one end rotatably mounted about a first pivot axis perpendicular to said rear wall, a drive shaft extending from the other end of said motor and parallel to said rear wall, a driven rubber wheel rotatably mounted on said one side wall and adapted for frictional engagement with said drive shaft, a pinion axially secured to said rubber wheel, a gear wheel secured to said take-up spool shaft and engaging said pinion, a two-armed lever having two ends and pivoted therebetween about a second pivot axis perpendicular to said rear wall, said lever having one of said ends pivotally connected to said said lever, said switch being movable from one position to a second position causing said lever to pivot about said second pivot axis and also causing said electromotor to pivot about said first pivot axis and thereby causing said drive shaft to be disengaged from said rubber wheel.

2. A portable electrically illuminated book as claimed in claim 1, further provided with an enlarging lens secured in said opening in said front wall.

3. A portable electrically illuminated book as claimed in claim 1, further provided with a rheostat for controlling the speed of said electromotor and thereby the speed of movement of said paper strip.

4. A portable electrically illuminated book as claimed in claim 1, further provided with a cover for said enlarging lense, said cover being pivotably secured to the sides of said housing and being adapted to act as a book support when swung out rearwardly of said front wall. 

1. A portable electrically illuminated book comprising a housing having opposed front and rear walls, opposed side walls, and upper and lower walls, said front wall being formed with a rectangular opening, a translucent shelf spaced parallel to said front wall in said housing and aligned with said opening for supporting a movable paper strip thereon, a detachable spool rotatably mounted in said housing adjacent said lower wall, said spool having a paper strip with reading matter wound thereon, an outer end of said paper strip extending from said spool between said front wall and said shelf, a detachable take-up spool rotatably mounted in said housing adjacent said upper wall, said outer end of the paper strip being secured to said take-up spool, a rotatable take-up spool shaft in one of said side walls detachably secured to said take-up spool, motive means for rotating said take-up spool in said housing, illuminating means in said housing mounted behind said translucent shelf for illuminating reading matter on said paper strip and a power source in said housing for said motive means and said illuminating means, said motive means comprising an electromotor having one end rotatably mounted about a first pivot axis perpendicular to said rear wall, a drive shaft extending from the other end of said motor and parallel to said rear wall, a driven rubber wheel rotatably mounted on said one side wall and adapted for frictional engagement with said drive shaft, a pinion axially secured to said rubber wheel, a gear wheel secured to said take-up spool shaft and engaging said pinion, a two-armed lever having two ends and pivoted therebetween about a second pivot axis perpendicular to said rear wall, said lever having one of said ends pivotally connected to said electromotor for pivoting said electromotor about said first pivot axis, a sliding switch mounted in one of said side walls for electrically actuating said motive means and said illuminating means, said switch having a projection provided with a knob engaging the other end of said lever, said switch being movable from one position to a second position causing said lever to pivot about said second pivot axis and also causing said electromotor to pivot about said first pivot axis and thereby causing said drive shaft to be disengaged from said rubber wheel.
 1. A portable electrically illuminated book comprising a housing having opposed front and rear walls, opposed side walls, and upper and lower walls, said front wall being formed with a rectangular opening, a translucent shelf spaced parallel to said front wall in said housing and aligned with said opening for supporting a movable paper strip thereon, a detachable spool rotatably mounted in said housing adjacent said lower wall, said spool having a paper strip with reading matter wound thereon, an outer end of said paper strip extending from said spool between said front wall and said shelf, a detachable take-up spool rotatably mounted in said housing adjacent said upper wall, said outer end of the paper strip being secured to said take-up spool, a rotatable take-up spool shaft in one of said side walls detachably secured to said take-up spool, motive means for rotating said take-up spool in said housing, illuminating means in said housing mounted behind said translucent shelf for illuminating reading matter on said paper strip and a power source in said housing for said motive means and said illuminating means, said motive means comprising an electromotor having one end rotatably mounted about a first pivot axis perpendicular to said rear wall, a drive shaft extending from the other end of said motor and parallel to said rear wall, a driven rubber wheel rotatably mounted on said one side wall and adapted for frictional engagement with said drive shaft, a pinion axially secured to said rubber wheel, a gear wheel secured to said takeup spool shaft and engaging said pinion, a two-armed lever having two ends and pivoted therebetween about a second pivot axis perpendicular to said rear wall, said lever having one of said ends pivotally connected to said electromotor for pivoting said electromotor about said first pivot axis, a sliding switch mounted in one of said side walls for electrically actuating said motive means and said illuminating means, said switch having a projection provided with a knob engaging the other end of said lever, said switch being movable from one position to a second position causing said lever to pivot about said second pivot axis and also causing said electromotor to pivot about said first pivot axis and thereby causing said drive shaft to be disengaged from said rubber wheel.
 2. A portable electrically illuminated book as claimed in claim 1, further provided with an enlarging lens secured in said opening in said front wall.
 3. A portable electrically illuminated book as claimed in claim 1, further provided with a rheostat for controlling the speed of said electromotor and thereby the speed of movement of said paper strip. 